


Moon Wrapped in Brown Paper

by novemberhush



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: And Stiles has given Derek a rather unusual gift, But one with a great deal of symbolism, Inspired by the Carol Ann Duffy poem ‘Valentine’, It’s Stiles and Derek’s first Valentine’s Day together as a couple, M/M, Neither of these boys are playing for anything less than keeps, Spoiler alert - they are, Sterek Valentine Week, Stiles checking they’re both on the same page regarding their relationship, Written for Day 5 of Sterek Valentine Week and it’s theme of poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 13:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22711222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush
Summary: It’s Stiles and Derek’s first Valentine’s Day together as a couple and Stiles has given Derek a somewhat unusual gift...
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 20
Kudos: 92
Collections: Sterek Valentine Week





	Moon Wrapped in Brown Paper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AJenno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJenno/gifts).



> Hey! So as I mentioned in my tags this was written for the Sterek Valentine Week event over on tumblr, for Day 5’s theme, which was poem/poetry. I stumbled across this poem by Carol Ann Duffy recently, while I was actually looking for another poem, and remembered Day 5’s theme and instantly knew I wanted to write a Sterek fic inspired by it. I have tried to link the poem here, but for some reason it doesn’t want to work for me so I apologize for that, but a quick Google search will find it for you. Dedicated to AJenno for reassuring me that the idea behind this story actually works! Thank you. Anyway, I wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day, be you single or taken, and I hope you enjoy my humble gift to you. Hopefully it won’t stink as much as Stiles’ gift to Derek, lol! xxx

Now, Derek’s the first to admit that he’s maybe not got the _best_ track record when it comes to romance, but even _he_ knows this is the weirdest possible thing Stiles could’ve given him for their first Valentine’s Day together as a couple.

“You got me an onion. For Valentine’s Day.” He could feel how high his eyebrows had climbed, knew they were practically touching his hairline. “You shouldn’t have. No. Really. You shouldn’t have,” he deadpanned, voice flat, pretty sure Stiles could hear the unsaid _what the fuck_ behind it anyway.

Stiles stopped biting his thumbnail just long enough to roll his eyes.

“It’s supposed to be symbolic.”

“It is??” Derek asked, still confused.

“Yeah, you know… like the poem?”

Derek didn’t know. Not right away, at least. Then he remembered the book of poems by Carol Ann Duffy that Stiles had been studying a few months back for one of his college classes. There had been one poem in it called _Valentine_ and he and Stiles had once sat up all night debating the meaning of it and what it said about love and the relationship at the centre of it. It had been one of the best nights of Derek’s life. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t put it together sooner.

Smiling now, he pulled Stiles gently to him, wrapped his arms around his waist and murmured softly, “Why don’t you remind me of its symbolism again then, huh?”

Stiles rolled his eyes again, but fondly, a small smile spreading across his face too.

“Well, like the poem says, ‘I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light.’ You’re a werewolf and the moon is important in your culture.” He ducked his head shyly before adding, “But I also want to bring you light.”

“You do,” Derek stated firmly, slipping one hand under Stiles’ chin and lifting his head so he could look him in the eye, hoping Stiles could see how sincerely he meant that, before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Stiles kissed back and Derek could feel him smiling against his lips. But when he pulled back Stiles’ face became serious again, sober. Sombre, even.

“But that’s not all the poem says about the onion. It also says ‘It will blind you with tears like a lover.’ I don’t want to make you cry, Derek, but I probably will. I love you. I love you _so much_. But I’m not perfect. I’m not soft. I’m hard edges and broken glass. I’m sharp words and a harsh tongue. I don’t want to cut you, but I probably will. And you’ll probably do the same to me. Because you’re not perfect either. I know it’s not the most romantic of sentiments, but, like the poem says, ‘I am trying to be truthful’. Not cute, but truthful. Because no matter what happens, no matter how we’ll sometimes inevitably hurt each other with thoughtless words or bitter retorts or brutal honesty, I’ll always stay. I’ll always want to be with you. I’ll always love you.”

“I’ll always love you too, Stiles,” Derek whispered, drawing him close again and burying his nose in the juncture of Stiles’ neck and shoulder.

“You’d better,” Stiles muttered darkly, causing Derek to laugh at his tone.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really. Because just like this onion my ‘fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are.’”

“I think I can live with that,” Derek smiled, leaning in for another kiss. “I’ve always liked onions.”

“Good,” said Stiles. “Because their ‘platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring,

if you like’. No, don’t worry! I’m not proposing. Yet. But I wanted you to know that that’s where I see this going, where I want it to go, Derek. And I guess I just needed to check that we’re on the same page, that we want the same things. A home, a marriage, a famil-“

“Yes.” Derek cut him off. “Yes, Stiles, we want the same things. I want all those things. With you.”

Derek hadn’t realized just how tense Stiles had been until he felt him practically melt against him, relief rolling off him in waves.

“Good,” he whispered. “That’s… that’s good.”

“But Stiles?”

“Yeah?”

“If you give me cabbage for Christmas or broccoli for my birthday I’m out of here, just so you know.”

Stiles snorted, a comeback already forming on his lips, but it was instantly forgotten as Derek once again pulled him into a fierce, lingering kiss.

And if Derek was already planning in his head exactly how he was going to propose to Stiles next Valentine’s Day, well, that was for him to know and Stiles to find out.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And there we have it. I hope you found it worth your while. Thanks for reading. If you feel like sharing your thoughts on the story, or the poem, or both, please feel free to do so, either here in the comments section or over on tumblr where I’m also known as novemberhush. :-)


End file.
